Apple’s mixed-reality headset will use magnetic batteries

Apple's upcoming mixed-reality headset will feature a unique magnetic port for attaching a battery pack.

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the external battery pack will have a proprietary connector on one end that attaches to the headset itself. The magnetic connector will be round-tipped and will lock into the port by the user turning it.

Each battery pack will offer just two hours of battery life. The magnetic connection will enable users to quickly and securely...

24 April 2023 | Applications

Apple open-source code references ‘realityOS’

A reference to realityOS has been spotted in Apple’s open-source code.

RealityOS is the operating system that Apple is widely expected to use on its upcoming mixed-reality headset. However, it may end up being named xrOS (a reference to “extended reality”) when it reaches consumers’ faces.

This week, Apple posted various bits of code on GitHub with numerous references to realityOS:

https://twitter.com/aaronp613/status/1636096450097721344

Apple’s...

16 March 2023 | Consumer IoT & Wearables

Apple’s AR/VR headset plan causes internal divisions

Internal divisions are reportedly arising at Apple over its much-anticipated AR/VR headset.

Apple CEO Tim Cook and COO Jeff Williams are said to be pushing to launch the headset as soon as possible, even if its design isn’t optimal.

Designers at Apple are said to have disagreed with their leadership and want to wait until it's feasible to launch a product that is lighter and less expensive. Current price estimates for the headset are between $2,000 and...

13 March 2023 | Consumer IoT & Wearables

Quest Global and Nvidia partner for digital twins in manufacturing

Quest Global and Nvidia are teaming up to create digital twin solutions for the manufacturing and automotive industries on the latter’s Omniverse Enterprise platform.

Omniverse Enterprise is a scalable, end-to-end platform which enables enterprise organisations to build and operate metaverse applications. Teams can connect and customise complex 3D pipelines and operate large-scale, physically accurate virtual worlds, including entire premises such as factories.

Regular...

7 February 2023 | Digital Transformation

5G IoT connections to exceed 100M by 2026

The global number of 5G IoT connections is set to exceed 100 million by 2026.

A study by Juniper Research finds the number of connections will reach 116 million by 2026; increasing from 17 million in 2023.

The incredible 1,100 percent growth is set to be driven by smart city services and healthcare.

Olivia Williams, one of the researchers, commented:

“5G will enable more efficient and dynamic healthcare provision that was not feasible with 4G or...

24 January 2023 | 5G

Omdia: IoT adoption set to surge in APAC

According to a report from global research firm Omdia, the APAC region is set to witness unprecedented IoT growth.

The researchers note that APAC has lagged behind in ‘Full IoT Deployment’ within enterprises (38% for APAC versus 42% in the 'Rest of the World'). However, spending is on the increase and the spare growth capacity is set to cause a surge in adoption.

Over 38.9 billion IoT devices are forecast to be deployed by 2030. Revenue from cellular IoT modules is...

13 December 2022 | Applications

Value-added applications of environmental monitoring to animal husbandry in Taiwan

Cows in a field.

In response to people’s concern over environmental quality, the Taiwanese Government has initiated the 'Civil IoT Taiwan' project, and entrusted the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) to develop its capacity in producing a Made in Taiwan (MIT) air monitoring sensor, which has been manufactured by Taiwanese company, such as Vision, Green Ideas and ProBai.

This has led to the extensive deployment of air quality sensors, which allows digitization and transparency of...

8 December 2022 | Digital Transformation

‘Metaverse’ is a contender for Oxford’s Word of the Year

“Metaverse” is among the leading three contenders for Oxford’s Word of the Year (WotY). 

The metaverse is an unsurprising inclusion for WotY—not everyone understands it, but most will have at least heard the term.

Facebook changing its company name to Meta towards the end of 2021 undoubtedly led to increased awareness of the metaverse. Over the last year, the word has been thrown around a little too easily.

There is still some confusion around what...

23 November 2022 | Applications

Xbox and Apple execs criticise the ‘metaverse’

Recent comments from Xbox and Apple executives suggest the companies remain deeply critical of the metaverse.

Most current "metaverse" experiences are just online games looking to capitalise on the hype around the term. More technological advancements are needed to fully realise the metaverse.

One core principle of the metaverse is that it will mix elements from the real world with the virtual. A “digital twin” of a factory, for example, could enable workers to...

27 October 2022 | Digital Transformation

Zuckerberg believes Meta’s duty is to promote an open metaverse

During yesterday’s annual Meta keynote, CEO Mark Zuckerberg shared his belief that the metaverse must be open.

Zuckerberg called out closed ecosystems—a clear dig at Apple, without mentioning the company directly.

“Closed ecosystems focus on tight control and integration to create unique experiences and lock-in, although most of that value ends up flowing to the platform over time,” explained Zuckerberg.

“Open ecosystems create value and grow through...

12 October 2022 | Consumer IoT & Wearables